[sw-l] BELGIUM: 2 new flag-icons

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
December 14, 2004

Katrien Van Mulders wrote:
> The official name of the sign language used in Wallonia is "Langue des 
> Signes de Belgique Francophone" (LSBF) or "Belgian French-Speaking 
> Sign Language" (http://www.ffsb.be/doc/LS/ls2.html). In Flanders the 
> term "Waalse Gebarentaal" or "Walloon Sign Language" is frequently 
> used. On the 8th TISLR conference in Barcelona however a (hearing) 
> sign language researcher from Wallonia spoke of "Belgian Sign 
> Language" in her poster presentation (for which she apologized to us 
> later on, btw ;-). Although I am by no means in favour of the latter, 
> "Belgian French-Speaking Sign Language" is no good alternative 
> either. But then again, who am I to decide? Walloon Deaf people should 
> be contacted concerning this :-)
>  


Hello everyone and Katrien -
Great to hear from you. Thanks for this information. And that was my 
thought exactly. Until a Deaf person or teacher or researcher from 
Wallonia contacts me, I will leave their flag icon as it is right now, 
and then I am happy to change to their request later...First we have to 
meet some Wallonian deaf people!! Years ago I had some contact with the 
French-speaking section of Belgium, but that was a hearing group of 
teachers I believe, and I do not remember ever having contact with the 
Wallonian Deaf Community...so we will be patient...

Katrien - if you know of any one from Wallonia, Deaf or hearing, who 
are interested in improving the name, please ask them to contact 
me...This is what we have at the moment:

http://www.SignBank.org/signpuddle

scroll down to Walloon....

I originally had Belgian-Flemish Sign Language and Belgian-French Sign 
Language. But I was told you prefer Flemish Sign Language without the 
name Belgian in front? So that is why I changed it. That is why Walloon 
Sign Language makes sense...with no Belgian in front...it is almost as 
if you are two different countries...

Val ;-)


Valerie Sutton
Sutton at SignWriting.org

1. SignWritingSite
http://www.SignWriting.org
Read & Write Sign Languages

2. SignBankSite
http://www.SignBank.org
Sign Language Dictionaries
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